Marco Rubio just got crushed in 2 states

Marco Rubio pauses while addressing supporters during a campaign rally in Sarasota, Florida, March 8, 2016. REUTERS/Steve Nesius Marco Rubio did not have a good night.

The Florida senator, one of four Republicans still in the race for the party's presidential nomination, is losing badly in the Michigan and Mississippi primaries.

Real-estate developer Donald Trump easily won both states.

And Rubio fell far behind two other GOP candidates — Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Ohio Gov. John Kasich — whom he is battling to become the clear alternative to Trump.

Rubio was on track to miss the threshold for accumulating delegates in both states. He had snagged less than 5% of the vote in Mississippi with almost 90% of precincts reporting and about 9% of the vote in Michigan with 56% of precincts reporting, as of 10:25 p.m. ET.

Trump has been the clear Republican frontrunner for months, and the party's establishment is now frantically scheming to stop him from winning the nomination. Rubio was long thought to be a viable, establishment-friendly alternative to Trump, but his campaign has sputtered as he has attempted to take on Trump directly.